from Kostas Karantzounis
Sir John Kenneth Tavener (28 January 1944 – 12 November 2013) was an English composer of choral religious works. Among his works are The Lamb (1982),
The Protecting Veil (1988), and Song for Athene (1993).
Tavener converted to the Orthodox Church in 1977.
Orthodox theology and liturgical traditions became a major influence on his work.
He was particularly drawn to its mysticism, studying and setting to music the writings of Church Fathers and completing a setting of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the principal eucharistic liturgy of the Orthodox Church:
this was Tavener’s first directly Orthodox-inspired music.
